Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls has welcomed new headmistress Rose Hardy, following the retirement of her predecessor Biddie O’Connor at the end of the summer term.
Settling into her new role, Hardy has revealed her long-term vision of raising the profile of the school, both locally and internationally. Her main focus is on empowering students to use every available opportunity to drive their learning, as well as plans to forge stronger links with the Habs Boys’ School.
“Habs students are citizens of our multicultural and richly diverse world and it’s our duty, as a school, to empower them to connect with that world,” Rose Hardy explained. “With continued uncertainty around the impact of Brexit, it’s also becoming more pertinent than ever for the school to open themselves up to new collaborative learning opportunities. As such, I’m also really encouraged to have begun the process of working more closely with Habs Boys’ School. It’s something that hasn’t been attempted historically, but it’s a very positive step forward and something I am very keen to see evolve in the future.”
Hardy also sits on the board at the British School of Paris and hopes to use her international links and experience to boost global opportunities for her students. Driving excellence in pastoral care is also a key objective for the new head.
Hardy added: “I’m really excited about taking the school forward into the 21st century and building on its already strong reputation. It’s been a busy start to the new school year, and yet the genuine warmth and kindness of the whole school community has been quite humbling. What is clear is that Habs is full of bright, caring and good-humoured students and, for such a large campus, it somehow manages to project the feeling of a much smaller, close-knit community, which is a rare and wonderful thing to be part of.”
Previously headmistress at St Margaret’s School in Bushey, Hardy was also the first female second master at St Alban’s School and read history at Somerville College, Oxford, before studying for a PGCE at The University of London. More recently, she completed an MEd in educational leadership.
Words by Riana Dixon
